In a freak accident, four Maoists were killed in a powerful explosion in their hideout in Warangal district in Andhra Pradesh in the early hours of Thursday.
The blast occurred in a hut belonging to one Madulaiah in Amadalapally village in Bhoopalpalli mandal when some bombs kept there went off accidentally.
The explosion was so powerful that it tore apart the bodies of the victims. Villagers rushed out of their houses on hearing the loud explosion. They found the bodies of four victims in the hut.
On receipt of information, district police officials including Superintendent of Police Soumya Mishra rushed to the spot.
The police could identify the victims with the help of papers and diaries found at the site. They include chityala dalam (armed squad) commander Potharaju alias Ramakant, Parakala dalam commander Kumaraswamy alias Kiran and dalam members Sadanand alias Kranti and Babkari alias Suresh.
Double-barrel guns were also recovered from the spot.
The incident comes two days after the surrender of Srinivas Reddy alias Raghu alias Tech Madhu, head of Communist Party of India-Maoist Andhra Pradesh State Committee's technical committee and his wife Sudharani alias Vasanta before the Warangal police on Tuesday.
Tech Madhu was the kingpin behind the manufacture and supply of rocket shells, launchers and pressure mines to the outlawed organisation from Chennai.
The police suspect that the Maoists, who were killed in the accidental blast on Thursday, could have been involved in planning retaliatory action against the police and other targets in the district to avenge the surrender of Tech Madhu.